A Rotorua grandmother's efforts to open a bank account for her granddaughter turned into a drama when she accidentally locked the baby and her car keys in her car.
The woman, who didn't want to be named, said she had gone to the ASB bank in Tutanekai St to open abank account for her 3-month-old granddaughter just before 10am yesterday.
She had returned to her car and after placing the girl in her car seat, closed the door, then realised she had left the keys inside. The woman said bystanders had tried in vain to help get the baby out so she called Rotorua firefighters.
Senior Station Officer Cameron McEwen said two fire appliances went to help and firefighters spent about five minutes getting the girl out of the car.
Mr McEwen said it was the first time in his 33-year career as a firefighter he had been called to get a baby out of the car. However, a young child being locked in a car could be a "life and death situation" and the police or the Fire Service should be called in those circumstances, he said.
The woman said she was worried because her granddaughter could sometimes stop breathing when she cried.
She said her granddaughter was in the car for about 20 minutes but had remained unaware of the fuss outside the car.
"She smiled through the whole thing," the woman said.
She was very grateful to the firefighters, she said, describing their actions as "amazing".
The woman was so impressed by the help she received from the firefighters she delivered morning tea to them later in the morning.
